Capstan for faired cable



Dec. 31, 1963 E. R. HERRMANN cAPs'rAN FOR FAIRED CABLE Filed Jan. 26.1961 llllllllllll United States Patent O of New Jersey Filed Jan. 26,1961, Ser. No. 85,096 1 Claim. (Cl. 254-175.7)

This invention relates to a capst-an for reeling in faired cable.

Where it is necessary to handle a specially shaped cable such as onehaving a plurality of stranded steel cables and electrical wires`incorporated therein, conventional methods have been found inadequate.When twol or more embedded cables of the same length are wound upon acylindrical drum in successive layers one cable is caused to follow alonger path at the point where one portion of the cable crosses over theunderlying portion making one cable loose, tha-t is, carrying no load,and the other cable tight. Since a drum long enough to store all of thecable in one layer would be too long and heavy to be practical, someother cable reeling in means is necessary.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide acapstan for reeling in and storing faired cable which will not imposeundue stresses upon any portion of the cable.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a capstan forfaired cable which will occupy a mini-mum amount of space.

An object of the present invention is to provide a capstan which willlend itself to a wide variety of cable shapes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a capstancapable of imparting tensions sufficient to rupture the cable ifnecessary, which in conjunction with a storage drum permits the cable tobe stored on a reel or drum under minimum tension.

A feature of the present invention is its use of an endless takeup chainfor transporting the faired cable.

Another feature of the present invention is its use of cams for guidingthe endless takeup chain.

Still 'another feature of the present invention is the use of a cableconforming seat on the takeup chain to receive the faired cable withoutdamage thereto.

The invention consists of the construction, combination and arrangementof parts, as herein illustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof is illustrated oneform of embodiment of the invention, in which drawings, similarreference characters designate corresponding parts, and in which:

y-FIGU-Rl. 1 is a somewhat isometric vieW partially broken away of acomplete embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a somewhat fragmentary isometric view of one of the links ofthe takeup chain with a second link shown in phantom.

FIGURE 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic view on a reduced scale showing thepath of the takeup chain and cable according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG- URES l and 2, 1@indicates a cfaired cable consisting of rice stranded steel cables 11,12, and electrical wires 13 embedded Within a resilient faired orstreamlined casing 14.

The cable 1li is led into the oapstan over a takeup chain 15 which isformed of a plurality of links 16. The links 16, best shown in FIGURE 2,are made up of blocks 17 which are laterally stepped as indicated at 18and 19. The smaller stepped portion is provided with a rearwardlyprojecting member 20 and the larger stepped portion is formed withrearwardly projecting ears 21. The bottom of the blo-cks 17 are out awayas indicated at 35 to receive the smaller stepped portion of the nextadjacent link as shown in FIGURE 2. A pin 22 slipped thro-ugh the bores36, 3'7 of the projection 20 and ears 21, secures the links 16 into vanendless chain.

The takeup chain `15 is provided on the face thereof with a seat 23j.'Ilhe seat 23 is cut into the blocks 17 and conforms to the face of thefaired cable which is dispos-ed thereon. The seat 23 prevents the cable10 from shifting upon the takeup chain 15.

The takeup chain is wrapped around a driving drum 24. The drum 24 iscylindrical and provided with a plurality of teeth on its periphery asindicated at 25. The rearward projections 20 and ears 21 are receivedwithin the teeth 25 in the manner of a sprocket and chain drive.

A cap member 26, 27, is provided at each end of the driving drum 24 andis formed with a cammed inner surface 28 as shown in FIGURE l. The cams28 force the takeup chain 15 along the driving drum 24 from one end tothe other. The caps 26, 27, also carry bearings Sil -within which thestub shafts 31 of the driving drum 2d are journaled.

After the cable 10 is carried around the driving drum 24- by -the` chain15, it leaves the said chain and is picked up by a storage drum 32. Thestorage drum is carried within a support 33 and may be driven in anyconvenient manner.

On leaving the drum, the blocks 1K7 of the takeup chain 15 are returnedto their working position by way of a slack ioop indicated at 34 inFIGURE 3.

In FIGURE 3 there is shown the path taken by the takeup chain 15 and thecable 10. These paths are indicated by the reference numerals 15a and10a respectively.

Since the chain 15 always starts on the driving drum 24 at the sameplace and leaves the driving drum at the same place, the cable 1t) willalways be in one location. The force necessary to counteract pulling theload down is obtained by the friction force of the cable Wrapped aroundthe driving drum. This force is sufficiently great with the number ofwrappings shown in FIGURE 1 to rupture the cable if necessary. Thedriving drum 24 may be turned by a suitable motor (not shown).

`lt will be apparent that other shapes of cable can be accommodated bythe capstan structure hereinabove described merely by varying the shapeof the seat 23 to conform to the surface of the cable.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided acapstan for faired cables which is capable of applying great force to acable without damaging the wires and stranded cable therein. The capstanassembly permits an asymmetrically shaped cable to be placed upon astorage drum with great accuracy and in a minimom amount of space.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent of 'the Uni-ted States, is:

A capstan for faired cable comprising a driving drum, a plurality ofelongated lteeth on the periphery of the driving drum, an endless takeupchain `Wrapped about the driving drum, a plurality of blocks in saidchain, a laterally stepped portion on each of said blocks to provide asmall .and a larger portion, the larger stepped portion being cu-t awayto receive the smaller stepped 'portion of ithe next adjacent block,means to connect adjacent blocks `into a llexible assembly, toothengaging projections `extending strom the stepped portions of each blockon the chain, cam members at each end of the l driving drum to urge theturns of the takeup chain to move along the driving drum from one end ofthe said drum to the other, a ycable receiving seat on the face of thetalreup chain and a storage drum adjacent the driving drum to receivethe faired cable.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,744,779 Massingham Jan. 28, 1930 1,752,604 Massingham Apr. 1, 19302,338,755 Cole Jan. 1l, 1944 2,884,120 Bruestle Apr. 28, 1959

